Reviews by beermanbrian:

Almost black with some ruby notes around the edge. Creamy head that dosn't hold as long as i would like. Smell of roasted malts but I also picked up some distinct cascade hops grapefruit in the first wiff. The roasted flavor takes over and pushes the hops out of the picture. Some chocolate and coffee tones in the taste. Mouthfeel is on the thin side but that isn't exactly a bad thing. There is so much flavor in this beer that it stays interesting all the way through. Fruit/vegetable beer dosn't really give you a feel for what this beer is, I would describe it as a scotch ale. Nice beer that is worth seeking out to try.

More User Reviews:

Poures a near pitch black but not for the ruby highlights when held up to the light with a big fluffy off white head that clings to the glass nicely,wow a real cascade presence in the aroma wich was entirely unexpected due to the fact well it is Rogue,a nice roastiness also shows itself nicely.Slick mouthfeel to this slides down with ease,interesting melding of flavors firmly nutty with some roasted malt as the core but there is very much a PW hop presence not so pronounced but it lets itself be known.Very interesting and flavorful ale I will be sure to grabe more.

This beer was poured into a mug and was pretty attractive. Dark brown with some red highlights, a thick tan head. Not much aroma, just some sweet fruit. The taste was an improvement,with some dark fruit, hazlenut, and a little late hops. I enjoyed it, but it is a different beer.

22 oz bomber purchased at Peabody's in Boone, NC, for $3.99. Pours a very dark chestnut brown, not quite opaque, with a large, creamy beige head that retains well. Lots of sticky patch lace all over the glass. Aroma is subdued, with roasty and grainy malts, a hint of cocoa powder, and a note of citrusy hops. Mouthfeel is well carbonated and light medium bodied. The flavor is unique, and difficult to describe. Earthy buckwheat nuttiness and some herbal tea notes. A hint of mild coffee, and a restrained hops bitterness. Finishes crisp and refreshing, with mild hops bitterness. Goes down smooth and easy, and is very drinkable. Very interesting!

One of the smoothest beers I've ever tasted. Toasted malts and chocolate slide down your throat on a bed of velvety smooth goodness.

As much as I enjoyed this beer's taste and mouthfeel I could not help but obsess over one thing...Did Sir Alec Guinness ever see Ewan McGreggor's performance of Obi Wan Kenobi before he passed away? I wonder what he thought of it if he did. I think he did a hell of a job.

I've been intrigued with the Morimoto line of Rogue beers and buy them whenever I've come across them. I love a good gimic and good beer so walk away from the experience a winner.

Taste: same as the smell with a touch of wood--sweet fruit, malt, brown sugar, and a touch of hops

Mouthfeel: slightly bitter, medium/light bodied, and high carbonation

Drinkability: Not as impressed with this as the other Morimoto ale from them. I think the taste here seemed rather muted throughout. The smell is good but after that the ale is just ok. I will not be buying this again at the price.

Beer poured out from the bottle a dense, reddish brown colour. Slightly cloudy with a ruby tint when held to the light. Ale had a clean, sweet molasses aroma to it. Tasted roasty and malty, yet had a light body and a clean finish to it.

T: A more complex and unusual flavor than expected even given the rather unusual and rather complex aroma. Diverse tasted malt aspects, presumably including buckwheat. [Actually, there is a somewhat clear note of buckwheat in the finish,] Hints of toffee, dark fruits and hops. Low bitterness,

M: very good body with medium carbonation. Fairly clean and semi-dry finish.

O: quite distinct, very interesting and well-crafted, with a good sweet/bitter balance, However, neither the aroma nor the flavor profiles were entirely to my liking. As intended, I guess, excellent with Asian cuisine. From memory, more interesting but not quite as enjoyable as Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale. Not a fruit/vegetable beer!

This beer pours a very dark red. It has a small brown head that fades very quickly, leaving very few laces. It has a malty sweet aroma to it. It smells coffee like, with a slightly nutty aroma also. It has very little hop aroma. It tastes malty, but not nearly as sweet as I was expecting. It has a chocolate taste to it. The hops make an appearance in the taste slightly. This beer is rather dry. It is sort of hard to drink because of how dry it is. It makes my mouth feel a little weird. I really cant explain how, just a little off. It is overcarbonated. It leaves a bitter aftertaste. This beer would probably make a bad session beer. Although it is low in alcohol, the aggressive, dry taste might be undesirable to some. I doubt I will have the desire to drink this one again. If you see it, maybe you should buy a different type. Like the Haselnut Brown Nector.

Pours dull black/dark brown with a tan head. Smells basically just like a schwarzbier, but slightly more fruity in the yeast dept. Taste is pretty much similar, with some chocolate and roasted malts, but with a little somethinge extra that a schwarz wouldnt usually have, and that's most likely ale yeast. Mouthfeel is a little on the heavy side of medium. Overall I think I liked the regular Morimoto soba beer better, but this was fair as well. Sometime I'll breakdown and buy the imperial pilsner, because the rest of his line has turned out decent. On the other hand, now that I've had this one, I doubt I'll buy it again.

I picked this 15th Anniversary beer up at the Kclinger's Public House before it closed awhile back. The beer poured a deep dense brown, almost black color with a very thick and bubbly head that lasted for awhile and finally gave way to a tan swirly layer over the dense body and had good lacing. The aroma is toasted, has a touch of coffee maybe. The taste is a more intense toasted malt taste with a bit of hop bitterness on the backend to round things out nicely. The body is medium and there is a good lingering bitterness on the tough. Another solid Rogue brew.

I'm not really sure what style this is supposed to be so I am going to rate it on it's merits alone.
Pours a deep coffee black with red undertones.
Head is thick tan that melts slowly to very heavy, sticky lacing which covers the entire glass.
Aroma is subtle but burnt malt and sweet nuts.
Taste is also subtle...beginning with toasted malt then moving to burnt malts and then a nutty taste. A touch of carmel with hints of coffee seem to find their way onto the tongue as well
Caramel nuts and burnt malt tastes linger in the mouth long after you swallow. Roasty-toasty goodness.
The mouthfeel is rich and tingly with a slightly bitter or biting carbonation.
Clean and fresh and very flavorful.
Very drinkable as well because it is actually very, very light for a dark beer.
I enjoyed this one and will definately pick it up again. In some ways it reminded me of a really good Black & Tan

22oz bottle. 'Black sash' - I'm wondering where that comes into play here.

This beer pours a very dark reddish cola hue, with two fingers of foamy, bubbly ecru head, which renders some decent layered webbed lace around the glass in its meandering, slow wake.

It smells of sweet roasted nutty malt, vegetal buckwheat, and earthy, leafy hops. The taste is more edgy, grainy buckwheat, dry roasted malt, a hint of earthy coffee/chocolate, and some floral/earthy hops. If I didn't know better, I would have guessed that this is some sort of beefed-up Guinness clone.

The carbonation is on the low, hard to discern side of things, the body medium-light in weight, and generally smooth. It finishes mostly dry, the nuttiness and sideshow buckwheat graininess lingering.

While this is replete with a flavour that I don't get much exposure to (the Yakisoba noodles that I indulge in frequently bear no relation to this), I still quite enjoyed the light, roasted, and nutty nature of this beer. Not quite sure what style of beer this is, as the vegetable/herb classification seems way too pithy and general for such an interesting offering.

Smell: Almost like iced-coffee, though very mild, with some cream, earthiness, and roots, along with some dark bread crust.

Taste: Mild coffee and cream, with some root and earthy bitterness with the finish, along with mild bitter coffee and faint hops.

Mouthfeel: Thin to medium-bodied, with a nice full feeling creaminess throughout.

Drinkability: I guess this is retired? A nice brew overall, and something I enjoyed, but I'm not sure if I'd buy it again. I didn't know what I was getting into with buying this on a whim, but it was definitely an interesting experience.

Glassy dark-caramel brown color with a light tan head of super-tiny bubbles. Lace clings firmly with any little tilt of the glass. Head remains at half-inch for a good long time.

Unusual aroma offers up mint, mild anise, and a perfume/flowery essence up against a roasted vibe that reminds of a porter.

Flavors of Folger's coffee, black tea, tart dark fruit and dark bread are given a dryness by husky, seed-like earthiness. Further along into the bottle I keep thinking "dirt...soil...earth". Hardly any sweetness present, nor as perfume-like as the aroma hinted at. Kind of unappealing, especially with the insanely quick-drying effect that leaves the mouth feeling like it just French-kissed a lawn.

Nice texture...buttery and bouncy...but when a flavor doesn't appeal very much, how much should it matter?

It's unique, I'll give it that. Glad I tried it once, so drinkability's not awful. Neither is the flavor, but it's hardly refreshing or appealing. Just not sure why or when I'd ever want to drink this beer again. I like weird beer, but it's also got to taste good. Geez, that Bell's Third Coast Old Ale is looking pretty good about now...

A- Great looking beer, pours a great finger and a half light tan head. very rocky. excellent retention, lacing is well above par too. Color is a deepbrown, with just a little light plumb color around the edges.. Its a real looker.

S- Very sweet, carmel corn, grains and dried fruits.

T- many different malt aspects, caramel corn again from the nose, along with sweet hard candy, and toffee malt. A little alcohol at the end. Very low bitterness, theres 3 hops but none of them do much.

M- very good body, thick with slightly above average carbonation which makes it more drinkable. Clean finish, little aftertaste or residue,

O- Good beer, I will have a gain. Well rounded and a nice sweet balance of flavor that does not get sugary or artificial tasting.

Filthy burnt orange with a plump buttery dome.
Smells empty, and partially of hazelnuts and acrid metal, and toasted pine sprigs.
When cold, this is vacant on all accounts. A smattering of burnt wood, a fizz of Dr. Pepper, and some sprucey bitters. It unfolds (slightly) as it rests and warms. Burnt hazelnuts appear, with a less passive java roastiness. Dark bread permeates the middle, with pumpernickel traits. A sprinkle of vanilla pod replaces the false-seeming cola hues. Lemon-rind notes gain definition, probably in relation to the buckwheat- as opposed to hop-induced- but they tow a minerally sense of astringency. The hops ante up as well, adding a more bracing resiny pine backdoor bitterness.
That might paint an interesting picture, but everything clashes harshly here, even with its lack of assertive flavor.
An initial sense of pillowed heft vaporizes and turns feeble and sparce. There seems to be no real structure here.
For a few moments, this grew on me and seemed a respectable drinker, but it's boring, and not a particularly attractive progression of flavors, pallid as they are.
This is far and away the least distinguished Rogue brew I've had.